Spontaneous

Name: Spontaneous
Genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comedy
Released: October 2, 2020
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 78
Cast: Charlie Plummer, Chelah Horsdal, Chris Shields, Clive Holloway, Danielle Kremeniuk

2020

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Ratings

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6.9

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6.9	Your Score
6.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 27 Ratings

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Spontaneous

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Movie Details & Credits

Paramount Pictures | Release Date: October 2, 2020 | R

Starring: Charlie Plummer, Chelah Horsdal, Chris Shields, Clive Holloway, Danielle Kremeniuk, Dolores Drake, Doralynn Mui, Hayley Law, Jason Tremblay, Kaitlyn Bernard, Katherine Langford, Laine MacNeil, Luvia Petersen, Marlowe Percival, Mellany Barros, Melody Niemann, Payton Lepinski, Piper Perabo, Rob Huebel, Yvonne Orji

Summary: When students in their high school begin inexplicably exploding (literally…), seniors Mara (Katherine Langford) and Dylan (Charlie Plummer) struggle to survive in a world where each moment may be their last. As an unexpected romance blossoms between them, Mara and Dylan discover that when tomorrow is no longer promised, they can finallyWhen students in their high school begin inexplicably exploding (literally…), seniors Mara (Katherine Langford) and Dylan (Charlie Plummer) struggle to survive in a world where each moment may be their last. As an unexpected romance blossoms between them, Mara and Dylan discover that when tomorrow is no longer promised, they can finally start living for today!… Expand

Director: Brian Duffield

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comedy

Rating: R

Runtime: 101 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Richard Roeper

Oct 7, 2020

It’s funny as hell in a drive-in splatter movie kind of way, smart and insightful and respectful in its depiction of modern-day teens, brimming with sly and satiric social commentary — and legitimately profound. Read full review

Frank Scheck

Sep 30, 2020

Making his feature directorial debut (he's written such screenplays as Insurgent and Underwater), writer/director Duffield expertly handles the complex tonal shifts, keeping us on edge even as we're laughing. We're also thoroughly engrossed in the main characters' fates, thanks to the witty, perceptive dialogue and the two leads, who bring an unforced, charming naturalism to their performances. Read full review

The Guardian Leslie Felperin

Oct 7, 2020

This debut feature from writer-director Brian Duffield (best known for his screenplays for Underwater, The Babysitter and Jane Got a Gun) has plenty of gallows humour to leaven the gore and tragedy, and plenty of subtexts swimming under the surface like glittering, metaphorical koi. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Matt Zoller Seitz

Oct 2, 2020

Whenever Spontaneous starts to run out of imaginative juice, it turns a tonal corner and either puts a smile on your face or wipes it off. Read full review

G. Allen Johnson

Oct 7, 2020

Bloody good. Read full review

Molly Freeman

Oct 1, 2020

Bloody, fun and achingly heartfelt, Spontaneous presents a clever and original story about life, love and how suddenly things can change. Read full review

Michael Phillips

Oct 7, 2020

Spontaneous allows Langford’s Mara, blasé swagger incarnate, and Plummer’s stealth charmer enough unaffected sincerity to make it stick. Onto that sticky stuff, the script applies comforting reminders: Stuff happens. We don’t know how long we have. Seize the day. Read full review

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User Reviews

Deadheadbill

Oct 25, 2020

Funny, poignant and thought provoking. Caught me by surprise. One of the best movies I have seen in quite some time. It does an amazing job of reminding us that none of us are guaranteed the next minute and that life can be unfair and at times inscrutable but it is the only life we have.Funny, poignant and thought provoking. Caught me by surprise. One of the best movies I have seen in quite some time. It does an amazing job of reminding us that none of us are guaranteed the next minute and that life can be unfair and at times inscrutable but it is the only life we have. This movie moved me and made me want to be a better person. That is rare in movies today.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

richwilliams

Nov 13, 2020

Oh man. Killer soundtrack and score. Raw and hilarious. The horror has a sci-fi element and is actually fun.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Rcavey92212

Nov 22, 2020

Awesome, original teen flick about kids that start to explode senior year is charming, hilarious, a little scary and wonderfully refreshing. Starring Katheryn Langford (Love Simon) as a young woman who finds love with a charming loner played by a charming Charlie Plummer during this oddAwesome, original teen flick about kids that start to explode senior year is charming, hilarious, a little scary and wonderfully refreshing. Starring Katheryn Langford (Love Simon) as a young woman who finds love with a charming loner played by a charming Charlie Plummer during this odd epidemic. The movie treats it's subject matter in a very genuine, smart way so it's never a full horror tinged comedy but more of a horrible event happening to funny people. Engaging and edge of your seat, its definitely one of the year's best films.

****.5/5… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

umaumai

Mar 26, 2021

This is one of those movies that was really good, but I could never watch again. Its tag line is “A Spontaneous Love Story,” but it’s much more about dealing with the tragedies we have no control over that happen in life. A lot of the main thrust of the plot is just about getting by. ThatThis is one of those movies that was really good, but I could never watch again. Its tag line is “A Spontaneous Love Story,” but it’s much more about dealing with the tragedies we have no control over that happen in life. A lot of the main thrust of the plot is just about getting by. That said, it has a lot of charm. The acting really draws you in and the caricatures of the high schoolers is pretty great. I have some problems with the heavy handed commentary of the final monologue and the general apathy that the main character jumps in and out of durning it. A lot of it sounds like it’s coming from someone who didn’t just experience the year that they did as it’s somewhat blustering and puffing up the ego. I do recommend watching this. Just know that you will likely not get any real closure at the end of its run time. However, that might be the movie’s point.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

JLuis_001

Oct 18, 2020

It was fun and certainly original, although it tends to repeat itself and sadly has two elements that largely prevented me from giving it a higher rating.

One is the fatalistic tone that the plot includes in relation to the teen experience and the other is how much its protagonist tries toIt was fun and certainly original, although it tends to repeat itself and sadly has two elements that largely prevented me from giving it a higher rating.

One is the fatalistic tone that the plot includes in relation to the teen experience and the other is how much its protagonist tries to be "the sardonic, cool girl".
If you're going to be petulant, you need to have a solid personality, but Katherine Langford's character definitely thinks that her attitude makes her more interesting, but it doesn't.

And believe it or not, Spontaneous is a love story and perhaps the situation of its plot makes it different and more interesting because of how bloody and unexpected the situation is, but ultimately the teaching it portrays of how we can die at any second cannot avoid certain conventional patterns.

This film s a directorial debut so the mistakes are understandable, it goes without saying this film lacked more strength in its orientation, but despite the aforementioned flaws, it entertained me long enough to get 3 stars out of me. But I still believe the film deserved a better lead character.
Behaving like a jerk, just because you can, doesn't make you cool, just **** annoying.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Thomas2110

Oct 13, 2020

Watching this you see now why it took almost 3 years from production for someone to pick this up for distribution.. it’s just plain crap, not funny and filled with stupidity.. Kids just spontaneously combusting for no apparent reason or without actual resolution as to why gets old prettyWatching this you see now why it took almost 3 years from production for someone to pick this up for distribution.. it’s just plain crap, not funny and filled with stupidity.. Kids just spontaneously combusting for no apparent reason or without actual resolution as to why gets old pretty fast.. I don’t know how a lot of these critics have given it 5/5 as I also seen the same critics give far more superior films less and you give them a high rating for a film that wasn’t even good enough for actual release for anyone to pick it up.. this, even without this global pandemic, would of most certainly ended up straight to VOD without a full theatrical release.. The acting is poor, Plummer always feels awkward and timid, if you said ‘boo’ to him he’d probably pass out.. Langford, way overacts, trying to hard to be this hippy, drug taking, loud, obnoxious chick with a grudge against the world.. with flaky ass parents, comes across more irritating that admirable.. and how long is she going to be typecast with these never ending teenager roles, mid twenties now and the availability to do so fades out.. and how old is Haley Law? She’s almost 30 playing a high schooler is laughable and she looks it to, nice casting.. Feels like the director just wants to be a kid again and I believe there is supposed to be a message at the end but by then it’s just a struggle to get through as what supposed to be starts out as some sort of dark comedy quickly switches to this try hard coming of age, live, love, life type crap.. Don’t waste your time or your money on this because it’s simply not good..… Expand

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

Saul_Tar

Nov 30, 2020

Dumb is probably the word that best describes this flick. If you're over 20, you'll get bored to death. Shallow humor, and lots of pretentious cringe. It doesn't even do a good job at representing the generation they're targeting. As if some horny teacher made this.
Not to mention totalDumb is probably the word that best describes this flick. If you're over 20, you'll get bored to death. Shallow humor, and lots of pretentious cringe. It doesn't even do a good job at representing the generation they're targeting. As if some horny teacher made this.
Not to mention total absence of any common sense, to the point where every scene looks like it was shot for a paycheck. Actors were probably like, tell me what I need to say to the camera so I can go home. A classmate is killed, and the main actors are like what's new on facebook? Oh your loved ones died yesterday, but did you see my latest selfie?
Like whatever Hollywood. I guess there's not much intellect left on that hill.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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